WhatsappWhat is the heart of the Jewish claim to the Land of Israel? The question is not just about Judea and Samaria, but about the entire Land of Israel. Why? Because nearly every Arab that opposes the State of Israel will tell you that the battle is about the river to the sea, meaning the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. The battle is not about a part of the Land of Israel. It is about the very existence of the State of Israel and it’s right to exist.
Benjamin Netanyahu is probably the best spokesman of the State of Israel today. He uses the cogent arguments of the most educated historians combined with complete command of the English language to present Israel’s case at home and abroad.
He puts it so well when he explains that the Jewish people lived in the Land of Israel for 2,000 years until they were kicked out. The Romans, then the Byzantines, and then Arabs took over. When the Arabs took over the Land, they did close to nothing with it for hundreds of years. The Land was indeed a wasteland for so long.
During the Crusader period, it was nearly impossible to return to the Land of Israel, but still individuals returned to the Land of Israel. When the Ottomans took over the Land in the 16th century, nearly nothing was developed in the Land of Israel. Until the late 19th century, nothing much was done and the Land remained largely empty – until the Jewish people began their return.
Nearly all of the Arabs that live in Israel today are not descendants of Arabs who lived in Israel before 1900. Most of the Arabs in Israel today came later on due to financial reasons AFTER the Jewish people began the miraculous return and began building up the Land. So, any Arab claim about living in the Land for thousands of years is weak or even an outright lie.
Nearly no Jews or Arabs lived in the Land of Israel for 10 or 20 generations. Some Jewish families do indeed go back to Jerusalemite families from the 18th century. But they are the rare exception. Nearly all Arab families came from Egypt or Saudi Arabia in search of a better lifestyle.
But the key difference is that the Jewish people are the indigenous owners of the Land who lived here for tens of generations. They have returned and have no intention to go anywhere.
